FREMONT – After a brief mix-up, the fisherman who rescued the infant in the May 18 Norfolk Southern pedestrian-train incident has been found.
“I did that because God put me there,” said Jon Cooper of his rescue of 16-month-old Arti Kar, whose three family members died attempting to cross the Miles Newton Bridge. “It was the most horrific thing and it’s not about me. I did what I did and I hope that someone else would do the same.”
Earlier rumors mistakenly identified Tyson Kieffer as the rescuer, but Cooper didn’t mind and gave Tyson a lot of credit.
“He was courageous. If I wasn’t there already, I’m sure he would have done it. He was there in the water to assist me, and that can’t be lessened,” Cooper said. “He performed admirably. He was coming to do the right thing and deserves a lot of credit.”
Jon Cooper is the angler who rescued the infant in the May 18 Norfolk-Southern pedestrian-train incident in Fremont, Ohio.
Cooper has seen cell phone footage showing the boy’s assistance.
It was Sunday at 6:10 p.m. and Cooper hit the Sandusky River right after work. He’s from rural Sandusky County and an avid fisherman.
“I was fishing, just enjoying myself. It was me and another guy in the water. There are a lot of trains that go by, and this train was just blaring its horn,” Cooper said. “I thought the engineer was messing with me, but something was off. Then I saw something fall off the bridge, just from the corner of my eye.”
More: Fremont pedestrian-train incident: Divers find body of 5-year-old girl
Cooper has assisted various emergency services at the City of Fremont by going over video footage to figure out what happened.
Three days later, he’s still distraught, but has his faith to rely on.
“I was told there was nothing I could do to help the other family members,” Cooper said, referring to the child’s mother and grandmother, who were hit by the train. Five-year-old Intisar Mi was likely found trapped underwater right where she hit the river.
More: Rescue workers find 5-year-old’s body in Sandusky River
“So, there was a splash and two African American men sprinted down to get the baby and the adults. Almost instantly they were yelling to me that there’s a baby out there,” Cooper said. The men were from Mansfield, but he never got their names. They worked as spotters, directing him from the shore.
He had to go another 30 feet into the channel.
Cooper is 6-foot-4-inches and the river bottom is not flat. It’s filled with rocks and holes that can be 12 feet deep. He found himself jumping from point to point as his waders filled with water.
Then, he found Arti Kar in the river.
Divers swim the Sandusky River the morning of May 19, looking for a missing 5-year-old child after a train-pedestrian accident on the Fremont trestle bridge on May 18.
“After getting her, and she was face down, as I was halfway back to the shore it occurred to me to resuscitate her,” Cooper said. “I gave her three deep breaths. It was really hard. I was also pounding on her back. It was the greatest moment when she started breathing again. I’ve never been so happy to be thrown up on. Thank God she’s so young. She will never remember.”
The 17-year-old son of one of the two men from Mansfield took the girl and Cooper headed back into the water.
“I went back for the women. I told him to keep her warm,” Cooper said. “I really commend him. I have no idea who he is. He knows who he is. His parents should be proud.”
At that point, several family members made it to the river. They didn’t speak English, but they helped pull the women from the water. Fremont police then arrived.
“It was like the cavalry showed up. I did it because it was the right thing to do. I want to give credit to all the first responders,” Cooper said. “I want to give a shout out and let you know how fast the response was. They were all professional and calm. I was really, really, impressed by them.”
Cooper is asking for privacy and doesn’t want a reward or recognition. The City of Fremont has agreed to take calls for him.
The family was from Fort Wayne, Indiana, visiting Fremont for a fishing trip:
●Intisar Mi, born May 5, 2020 (deceased)
●Arti Kar, born March 1, 2024 (critical care, hospitalized)
●O Ny Zar, born June 13, 1990 (deceased)
●Ram Masan, born July 3, 1974 (deceased)
The train collision happened at 6:55 p.m. on Sunday, May 18. O Ny Zar and Ram Masan were declared dead Sunday night, while Intisar Mi’s body was not found and recovered until Monday afternoon, May 19.
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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Local fisherman rescued infant after Fremont train tragedy